COLUMBUS (WCMH) — On Wednesday, the City of Columbus put a face to the safe sleep campaign, real people sharing stories of how they lost a child to a sleep related death.
Seven babies have died so far this year in central Ohio before their first birthday, due to unsafe sleep practices, according to Columbus Public Health.
ShawNaye Scott-Miller says she fell asleep with her baby in her bed. She woke up but her five-week-old daughter never did.
“I happened to look over at her and it seemed as if she was asleep, but she wasn’t breathing,” said Scott-Miller.
Babies who sleep with their parents are three times more likely to die, according to Columbus Public Health.
It’s something Scott-Miller never wants to see happen again.
“It’ll only take a couple of minutes for me to put her in her bassinet and just those couple of minutes cost me a lifetime of pain,” said Scott-Miller.
Nathan Hurd’s son Will died while sleeping with his favorite blanket. Will was just 82 days old.
“He was at our babysitter’s and she put him down for his afternoon nap and he just didn’t wake up. I got the call from my wife, she’s amazing and usually calm. She was absolutely frantic. Then I got a call from the Lieutenant and he told me right then there’s been a problem and your son didn’t make it and it was the worst day of my life…. the worst day of my life,” said Hurd.
Stories like these are getting Mayor Andrew Ginther and a handful of organizations to step in, creating awareness with the safe sleep campaign.
Columbus Public Health recommends following the ABCs of safe sleep.
- Alone: 2 out of 3 babies who died while sleeping were sharing an adult bed, couch or chair. Babies should always sleep alone and in an empty crib. Two out of three babies who died while sleeping were not sleeping alone and were on an adult bed, couch or chair. Share the room, not the bed. This helps to breastfeed and bond with your baby.
- Back: Babies should always sleep on their backs because they are less likely to choke than babies who sleep on their stomachs. Babies who sleep on their backs are also able to breathe easier.
- Crib: An empty crib, with a firm mattress and fitted sheet is safest. Bumper pads, pillows, blankets or stuffed animals should not be in the crib as they may cause babies to suffocate or strangle themselves.
“It can happen to anyone you see. you think you understand safe sleep but i hope people take a minute to really think about what safe sleep is,” said Hurd.
Officials say most of these deaths can be prevented. To learn more about safe sleep practices visit http://celebrateone.info/babies/#Safe-Sleep-Resources